Nudibranch Eating Wrasses

MUCHO REEF · #1 07/20/2007, 09:59 PM

Many of us have had the unfortunate experience of combating Nudibranchs in the past. I don't wish them on anyone as they will wreck continuous havoc on a zoanthid population. Many will only keep Palythoas as a sort of proactive measure to keeping their reefs Nudi free. It is still possible, if great care is not taken, to infest your tank with Nudibranchs. They will Hitchhike on rocks without a single zoanthid present. It certainly happened to me many moons ago, I simply forgot to dip and true enough, BAM, a Nudi. I have seen them in stores on rocks without a single zoanthid or palythoa on the rocks. From many hours of just watching them, they will consume one rock, then travel to find more polyps to consume and yes, they will travel across other rocks to get to the next colony they want to devastate.

Dipping, close visual inspection and QTing are the most noted ways of preventing infestations, but a good hunter always on the prowl will also decrease the amount of time the infestation will occur. For this reason, lets create a list of known Nudibranch consuming Wrasses for future reference. Listed below are a few that I have heard of, but I'm sure their are many many more, so please take a moment to share everyone. It could truly help a fellow reefer in need some day.

1. Yellow Coris
2. 6 Line
3. Lunar
4. Possum
5. Orange Striped
6. Christmas
7. Pink Striped
8. Some have said most anything in the Halichores Family as they are serious stalkers.

Mucho Reef

wampuscat · #2 07/20/2007, 10:26 PM

Nice post Mucho!

wampuscat · #3 07/20/2007, 10:29 PM

Anyone have any luck with a mystery wrasse?

delsol650 · #4 07/21/2007, 12:16 AM

I see my mystery hunt as well as all my other fairy/flasher wrasses...

you might want to try leopard wrasses as well..

Ace1 · #5 07/21/2007, 12:23 AM

is it a fact that if i see one nubi, there are many more??

say it aint so...

DaveJ · #6 07/21/2007, 01:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ace1
is it a fact that if i see one nubi, there are many more??

say it aint so...

Not always, but the odds are for there being plenty of others.

crazydante · #7 07/21/2007, 06:44 AM

Would a four line wrasse work? They seem to be similar to the 6 line.

MUCHO REEF · #8 07/21/2007, 07:19 AM

Yes, the 4, 6 and 8 line will eat Nudis.

Mooch

crazydante · #9 07/21/2007, 07:22 AM

Sweet, cuz I placed one in my 24 gallon aquapod. He is the only one in there with ton's of zoa's. Zoa only tank.

fio1022 · #10 07/21/2007, 10:29 AM

I have a dreaded nudi problem.I've tried everything to elimate them aside from breaking tank down.I'm starting to get tired of sucking them out one by one.
I've never kept a wrasse before.Which of them do you think would be the best canidate?any problems associated with them?
Thanks.

DaveJ · #11 07/21/2007, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by fio1022
I have a dreaded nudi problem.I've tried everything to elimate them aside from breaking tank down.I'm starting to get tired of sucking them out one by one.
I've never kept a wrasse before.Which of them do you think would be the best canidate?any problems associated with them?
Thanks.

The ones I have heard the most success with are the Sea Grass Wrasse (Sometimes called Green Grass Wrasse or Green Wrasse), Yellow Coris Wrasse, Leopard Wrasse and 6-lines.

Any of the Coris family should be fine but you have to watch them and see if they are actually going after them. Its not 100% that they will do it just that they are more likely to.

MUCHO REEF · #12 07/21/2007, 03:36 PM

Thanks, keep them coming, this list will help an aweful lot of reefers.

Mucho Reef

edwing206 · #13 07/21/2007, 06:35 PM

Although already mentioned, my possum wrasse is awlays on the lookout. So is my red fairy wrasse.

mfinn · #14 07/22/2007, 11:09 AM

I had great luck with a green coris wrasse

DaveJ · #15 07/22/2007, 12:06 PM

Something else to keep in mind.... not all of these wrasses are reef safe... so anyone getting one should choose wisely if they want their inverts in the tank!

ct_vol · #16 07/22/2007, 02:40 PM

I had a Lunar Wrasse that would destroy nudis... He'd also destroy every snail and hermit in my tank too though...

jski711 · #17 07/22/2007, 03:02 PM

green coris wrasse ime has been awesome. completely murdered my pretty bad nudi problem.

MUCHO REEF · #18 07/24/2007, 05:27 PM

Last Call?

hexedagain · #19 07/24/2007, 11:01 PM

Here's a pic of my green coris wrasse. In case anyone wants to know what they look like.

Tim Plow · #20 07/25/2007, 05:53 PM

Are the yellow coris wrasse reef safe? I think they had them listed on Dr. Fosters and Smith to add with caution. Anyone had any negative experience with the yellow coris eating corals?

DaveJ · #21 07/25/2007, 06:01 PM

Its not corals that they would potentially go after, its the inverts. Shrimp, crabs, snails, worms etc would be the critters you'd need to be worried about.

The Yellow Coris' I have (2 of them) are both in tanks with everything listed above and have showed no signs of aggressiveness towards them. As the coris gets bigger, that may change but I would feel more comfortable with them in the tank and possibly (remotely) losing a shrimp at some point rather than having nudies eating up my prize zoos/palys etc.

I wouldn't be surprised if these things at spiders too since they go after pods as well.

lfduty · #22 07/25/2007, 07:14 PM

I tthink we need to make this a STICKY page

MUCHO REEF · #23 07/27/2007, 05:31 PM

It could be done if enough people wanted it. Not to diminish your reply though.

MR

lfduty · #24 07/27/2007, 06:47 PM

Im going to to do a poll on Nudibranch Eating Wrasses to night when i get time..

Curlsoc · #25 07/29/2007, 01:39 PM

Which one one the list would you say is the most safe towards inverts? I have quite the snail ranch here